


Never give up, never surrender - to the power of love?

by tornyourdress



Category: Galaxy Quest (1999)
Genre: M/M, Meta, Yuletide2008
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 04:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tornyourdress/pseuds/tornyourdress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People are writing this thing called 'slash' for that classic sci-fi show, Galaxy Quest! A journalist investigates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never give up, never surrender - to the power of love?

_"Oh, Peter," Dr Lazarus whimpered as the handsome captain's powerful tongue moved across his chest. Finally Taggart was loving him the way Lazarus had always dreamed of, finally they were together as one, sharing this joy…_

No, it's not a new episode of the much-beloved cult classic, for all you curious Questerians out there! This is in fact from a fan-written story that appears on _Galaxy Quest_ fan-built website _www.Questfic.net_, where folks who can't quite get enough of their favourite space-faring heroes can write their own stories about what might have happened to the crew after the final episode in 1982. Although fans campaigned vigorously for the show to be renewed, their efforts were fruitless – until now.

If you haven't heard about 'fan fiction' yet, let us fill you in! Although not officially endorsed, many hit TV shows and movies have spawned these stories, which fans share online as a way of exploring roads not taken by the original creators. Stories about _Galaxy Quest_ include tales in episodic format, following on from the original 'adventure of the week' that proved so popular with viewers both new and old (the DVD boxsets of the first season will be hitting shelves later this year), as well as stories that the creators of the show might never have envisaged – namely, stories that feature the two central male characters in a romantic relationship.

_Peter Quincy Taggart couldn't sleep. His mind kept racing, and despite himself he kept thinking about that moment on Blagon IV when they'd almost lost Lazarus. He tried telling himself it was just because Lazarus was so useful on the ship, nothing more, but he knew he was lying to himself. The events of the day had made him realise his true feelings for the grumpy, knowledgeable alien._

This extract is from one of many stories which draws on a moment in the series as its starting-point. In this second-season episode, Taggart risks his own life to save that of Dr Lazarus. Many fans have interpreted this as an indication of his feelings for Lazarus. As prolific fan writer Tazartshipper42 puts it: "Taggart totally wants to do Lazarus. You can see it in his eyes."

In another episode, Lazarus alludes to the mating rituals of his home planet of Tev'Meck in a way which some fans have taken to mean that his intelligent race eschew the traditional concepts of gender and therefore might be open to same-sex relationships. A 73-chapter story 'The Incredibly True Story of Grabthar's Hammer' develops this theory and has many enthusiastic readers online waiting for chapter 74 to make its appearance. Author TawnyMadisonBeMine notes: "I think readers respond to the postmodernist structure and its complex reworking of the tantalizing hints throughout the show of this fascinating, under-developed alien culture" while one recent review of the story, posted by user Quest4eva, simply reads: "That was HOT. Please update soon!!!"

The stories which pair these two characters together can be found as labelled 'Taggart/Lazarus', and as the FAQ on _Questfic_ explains: "The slash between the names indicates a romantic pairing, so if you're not into that sort of thing, please don't read! If you've heard about 'slash' before now you know where it comes from – Taggart/Lazarus, the original 'slash' pairing!"

But why might readers wish to read stories about Taggart and Lazarus, rather than, say, Taggart and everyone's favourite space hottie Lieutenant Madison? Some fans suggest that Madison, while attractive, was never as essential to storylines as the two men. At a recent convention actress Gwen DeMarco was asked whether she felt that her character was 'a step backward for feminism' and an 'utter disgrace to humanity'. DeMarco had no comment.

And speaking of the cast, what do they have to say about all of this? Handsome hunk Jason Nesmith had the following comment: "The fans are amazing! I wouldn't be where I am today without them!" Alexander Dane, aka Lazarus, kindly suggested we "go read some real literature rather than that trash". We're hurt, Alex! But could there be a reason the grumpy Brit would rather fans not speculate about what he might look like underneath that uniform and in bed with his dashing co-star? One insider reports that despite the behind-the-scenes bickering that went on during the filming of the show, and continues to this day at conventions, Dane and Nesmith are actually "closer than you might think." Just how close is that, one might wonder?

We here at _Cult Classics Monthly_ leave you with an excerpt from 'Honeymooning on Warvan' by IHeartTazart. Watch out for next month's issue, where we'll be talking to _Galaxy Quest_'s Tommy Webber about his life beyond 'Boy Wonder' Laredo and his forthcoming novel!

_Dr Lazarus looked around and marvelled at the magnificent suns of Warvan, so impressive that his people included them in their oath. It was a beautiful sight, and he only wished that the one he loved could be with him._

Aye, there was the rub (as one of his fellow crew had explained was some kind of saying from an old Earth playwright). Lazarus sometimes felt that these humans were far too fond of their archaic culture for their own good – his own species had put their barbaric past firmly behind them, rather than venerating it – but that line spoke to him, even though he wasn't quite sure why.

He gazed at the sky and longed for a glimpse of his ship, but he knew they were on a mission elsewhere and could not possibly appear. He would see them again in three months, after he had mated with Chrysalite. She was the one he was to be with. Grabthar himself had set down the rules for companionship, and who was he, Lazarus, to question them?

She had raven tresses that cascaded down her elegant back like a waterfall, and heartbreakingly beautiful violet eyes that must have melted the hearts of many other men. The trouble was that Lazarus's heart remained unmelted, and cold even at her touch. He knew the reason why, of course. He just struggled to accept it.

He was in love with his captain.


End file.
